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Interactive Bass Scale Guide

Ab/G# Diminished Half-Whole Bass Scale

Explore the Ab/G# Diminished Half-Whole on 4, 5, and 6-string bass fretboards with interactive looper, note charts, TAB, and metronome practice.

🎸 Open in Interactive Fretboard

4-String Bass TAB & Notation

Copy this 1-octave ASCII TAB chart or follow along with the looper above: 

G|-------------------------1---|
D|-------------0--1--3--4------|
A|----0--2--3------------------|
E|-4---------------------------|

Scale Notes & Interval Formula

Notes: Ab - A - B - C - D - Eb - F - Gb

Ab Diminished Half-Whole is the same set of pitches as G# Diminished Half-Whole; this page spells the notes from Ab.

1
Ab
Step: H
♭2
A
Step: W
♯2
B
Step: H
3
C
Step: W
♯4
D
Step: H
5
Eb
Step: W
6
F
Step: H
♭7
Gb
Step: W

Interactive Fretboard Chart

Filter:

Golden badges indicate the root note; purple badges mark active scale degrees.

Nut
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
G
Ab
A
B
C
D
Eb
F
Gb
D
D
Eb
F
Gb
Ab
A
B
C
D
A
A
B
C
D
Eb
F
Gb
Ab
A
E
F
Gb
Ab
A
B
C
D
Eb

Musical Character & Application

Character: Dense dominant tension with repeating half-step and whole-step cells.

Typical Use: Dominant flat-nine chords, altered funk lines, jazz tension, and passing motion.

Same notes from another root: C Diminished Whole-Half. Chords on this root that sit inside it: Ab Dominant 7th chord and G# Half-Diminished chord.

Take it from the screen to your instrument with the audio-interface bass trainer, or practise it over a ready-made line from the Riff Lab riff packs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Ab/G# Diminished Half-Whole bass scale?

The notes of the Ab Diminished Half-Whole bass scale are: Ab - A - B - C - D - Eb - F - Gb. The degree formula is: 1 - ♭2 - ♯2 - 3 - ♯4 - 5 - 6 - ♭7. Ab Diminished Half-Whole is the same set of pitches as G# Diminished Half-Whole; this page spells the notes from Ab.

What is the musical character and typical use of the Diminished Half-Whole scale?

Dense dominant tension with repeating half-step and whole-step cells. Common musical uses: Dominant flat-nine chords, altered funk lines, jazz tension, and passing motion.

How do I practice the Ab/G# Diminished Half-Whole on 4, 5, and 6-string bass?

Use Basnote's interactive fretboard to switch between 4-string (EADG), 5-string (BEADG), and 6-string (BEADGC) charts, hear real-time audio playback, and follow animated bass TAB with adaptive tempos.